In contrast to conventional hard actuators, soft actuators offer many vivid advantages, such
as improved flexibility, adaptability, and reconfigurability, which are intrinsic to living …

Abstract Development of polymer-based smart materials, which can autonomously alter their
physical and/or chemical properties when exposed to external stimuli, is a thriving research …

Hydrogel materials show promise for diverse applications, particular as biocompatible
materials due to their high water content. Despite advances in hydrogel technology in recent …

To date, the literature has focused on synthetic fibre-reinforced composites, but it has not
adequately addressed the unique properties that differentiate natural from synthetic fibres …

Nanofibrillar materials, such as cellulose, chitin and silk, are highly ordered architectures,
formed through the self-assembly of repetitive building blocks into higher-order structures …

Living organisms have ingeniously evolved functional gradients and heterogeneities to
create high-performance biological materials from a fairly limited choice of elements and …

Poly-lactic acid (PLA) has become a commonly used polymer for additive manufacturing
because of its bio-derived nature, useful mechanical properties, and excellent …

Hard biological materials—for example, seashells, bone or wood—fulfil critical structural
functions and display unique and attractive combinations of stiffness, strength and …

Introducing methods for instant tough bonding between hydrogels and antagonistic
materials—from soft to hard—allows us to demonstrate elastic yet tough biomimetic devices …

Machine learning (ML) has been perceived as a promising tool for the design and discovery
of novel materials for a broad range of applications. In this prospective paper, we summarize …